1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with online advertising from a bottom-up approach, with individuals or groups agreeing to be associated with advertisements in exchange for a service, as part of an online service, or for some reward, monetary or otherwise, and advertisers paying the service provider for this type of marketing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Internet marketing traditionally have relied on advertisers purchasing ad space on particular websites. More recently, businesses have emerged that match advertisers with websites that meet certain criteria, enabling advertisers to have some degree of targeted marketing. In addition, websites can now proactively and dynamically generate advertisements by describing their content and subscribing to a service like “GOOGLE” ads, which supplies them with advertisements that are relevant.
Both these approaches aim to achieve the same goal: to bombard a user with an idea in the hopes that they may be convinced to take steps towards purchasing a product or soliciting a service. However, they both lack unbiased advocates. A viewer is keenly aware that they are being offered a service or product by the entity that is going to profit. This is useful if the viewer is searching for a product or service, but not in the case where his/her primary activity is not product or service searching.
Also, an increasingly popular feature on online communities is the ability for a user to express his/herself using a variety of creative tools. For example, websites exist that allow users to create a virtual character, complete with clothes, accessories, and furniture. These sites are known collectively as avatar sites. A preferred embodiment of this invention would treat branding as a means of self expression, and the web as just another place where we live.
Example patent which relate to the background of the present invention include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,175,831; 6,269,369; and 5,960,411. Additional descriptions of the background of the present invention may be found in the following books: “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Difference” and “Kellogg on Marketing” (Edited by Dawn Iacobucci). Another known example of the use of advertisements online and related pricing issues is described, for example, in connection with Google AdWords.
Known advertising concepts generally allow for sponsorship of individuals or groups, i.e. sports professionals or sports teams, but have not typically extended towards less well known individuals or groups in a manner that is of high value or easily scalable for the advertiser. Known advertising techniques also suffer from the perceived commercialization of the sponsor, whether it is a movie star or a popular internet site, to the extent that observers can assume that the sponsor is receiving a benefit for his/her role.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system of word of mouth advertising that extends sponsorships to lesser known individuals.